In the eleventh year of Kangxi's reign, it was almost December, and it was already freezing cold in the north. A prison car was slowly driving into the Dongzhimen gate of the capital. This prison van is a luxurious and comfortable version, more than a circle larger than an ordinary prison van. The cage of the prison car is also equipped with wooden boards on three sides to block the cold wind, and there are also wooden boards on the top to block the wind and snow. Only the front is open, but a cotton curtain is hung to keep warm... If there were no cage, this car would be a fairly comfortable carriage.
The person responsible for escorting this strange prison car was none other than Huang Zhisheng, a talented scholar who ranked eighth in the Jinshi section of the Guangzhou Imperial Examination!
However, the name he used when he took the Guangzhou imperial examination was Huang Shiren, and now the name he uses when escorting prisoners to Beijing under the orders of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty is his real name Huang Zhisheng.
The prisoners who were able to work and were escorted to Beijing by Huang Zhisheng were certainly not ordinary prisoners. Otherwise, how could he be sitting comfortably on the seat in the prison car now, with a hot stove under his feet, and holding a sugar-fired roast bought in Tongzhou in his hand and eating deliciously?
Huang Zhisheng, the seventh-grade sesame officer who escorted prisoners, was shivering with cold, his nose was red from the cold, and his beard was covered with ice slag. Moreover, he was stopped at the city gate by Mr. Chengmen Qian, who was guarding the gate.
"What's going on? What kind of car is this? What is it transporting?"
In this era, there was no such official as the Admiral of the Nine Gates. The soldiers who guarded the gates of Beijing City were all under the control of the Ministry of War. Each gate had a "gate officer" called the City Gate Qianzong. They were all Eight Banners disciples who were neither high nor low in Beijing.
"This President Qian," Huang Zhisheng did not dare to offend the Eight Banners disciples in Beijing, so he quickly said with a smile on his face, "I have been ordered to escort Shang Zhixin, the prince of Yuanpingnan Prince, to Beijing."
"Oh, it's my father-in-law!" This Eight Banners disciple looked quite old, looking like he was in his thirties. He must have seen Shang Zhixin in his glory days, so he quickly put on a respectful expression, "Then I have to take a look!"
Then see!
Huang Zhisheng hurriedly asked the driver of the cart to lift the cotton curtain and display the letter of Anda Gongshang, who was locked in a cage, chewing sugar and burned on fire, in front of the Eight Banners disciples. When the disciples of the Eight Banners saw Shang Zhixin, they immediately gave him a thousand salutes: "Cao Dongting, a low-ranking official, is here to answer my question!"
Shang Zhixin's crime was so great that no one could save him. Even his brother Geng Jingzhong, who was sworn with him in the apple orchard, only built him a luxurious prison car and sent his trusted guards to escort Shang Zhixin with Huang Zhisheng. Just entering Beijing...
My father-in-law and Prince Pingnan are all very distant things to Shang Zhixin.
"Brother Cao," Shang Zhixin sighed and looked at the gatekeeper who saluted him, "I am no longer my father-in-law... I am a sinner and a prisoner!"
This attitude of confessing is still very good! It's a pity that the gate officer is a bit ignorant and still asks questions.
"I wonder what crime you have committed?"
"I..." Shang Zhixin burst into tears when he thought of this.
Seeing that he was unwilling to say anything, the official hurriedly explained: "I am the Duke, I am humbly assigned to guard the city, and my responsibilities are... If you enter the city as my Duke, I naturally dare not ask more questions. But. If you want to enter the city as a prisoner, you have to ask questions about your humble position."
During this period, Wu Sangui rebelled, Chahar King Burni was also ready to take action, and Zhu Heji used a "head box bomb to kill Shang Zhidian", so Beijing was heavily guarded.
The city gate generals at various city gates have received orders to strictly interrogate suspicious people!
But Shang Zhixin came to Beijing in a prison car instead of riding in a nice carriage or sedan chair, which looked suspicious!
Seeing his respectful attitude, Shang Zhixin felt warm in his heart, so he naturally did not embarrass him and sighed: "To be honest, I slandered Prince Pingxi for colluding with Prince Zhu to rebel..."
"What?" The gatekeeper surnamed Cao was stunned again and again, with a puzzled look on his face. It took him a long time to react, "Oh, your sin... I'm afraid the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Shangfangyuan, won't dare to accept it!"
Shangfangyuan was later the Shenxing Division, and he was in charge of the three banners of punishment. Although Shang Zhixin is not a member of the Three Flags, he can enjoy this treatment.
"If Shang Fang Yuan doesn't accept him, then go to the Criminal Department!" Shang Zhixin sighed and said to himself: "My sins are too great. I guess I am not qualified to go to jail in Shang Fang Yuan, which has better conditions."
"The Ministry of Punishment can't accept you either."
"The Ministry of Punishment doesn't accept it either?" Shang Zhixin became anxious upon hearing this, "Why?"
Yes, why is there no place to go to jail? Should we be beheaded directly?
"Why don't you accept it?" Huang Zhisheng was also anxious. So why would he not accept it when he sent people from all the way here?
"The emperor asked for it as a gift!" Huang Zhisheng asked, "Why doesn't Shangfangyuan accept it?"
"You can't accept what the emperor asked you to give away," the official shook his head and said with a bitter smile: "Because Wu Sangui rebelled last month in response to Prince Zhu San... I answer that you exposed their father and son early in the morning. If two people want to rebel, this can't be considered a crime, right?"
yes! Wu Sangui and Wu Yingxiong really colluded with Prince Zhu to rebel. How could the person who exposed their rebellion be guilty?
How do you ask the officials from the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Internal Affairs to try this case?
The laws of the Qing Dynasty did not expose anti-thief crimes!
"This, is this true?" Huang Zhisheng was also shocked, "When was the news?"
"It was circulated last month," the official said, "but it was only announced in these few days."
Huang Zhisheng looked back at Shang Zhixin in the cage, "My answer is sir... How about you come out and ride a horse instead?"
"That's okay, then where to go after entering the city?" Shang Zhixin asked.
"Go, why don't you go to the Forbidden City and ask first?" Huang Zhisheng didn't pay attention, but he didn't dare to let Shang Zhixin go just like that... He just sent "human goods" according to the order, so he must It has to be delivered to the right place!
"Well," Shang Zhixin thinks this suggestion is good, "then go to Taihemen and ask."
...
Forbidden City, South Study.
At this time, Emperor Kangxi had forgotten when he had issued an order to have Shang Zhixin escorted to Beijing, because there was so much big news during this period, and they were all bad news, each one worse than the last!
First, Wu Sangui and his followers blocked Yunnan and Guizhou, cutting off all contact with the imperial court. Then they blocked Qutang Pass, Lishu Pass, Zhuyuguan, Micang Pass, Haoba Pass, Qipanguan, Chaotian Pass, and Baishui Pass in and out of Sichuan. When the important passes were blocked by the local Qing soldiers in Sichuan... Although the memorial from Sichuan Governor Luo Sen was sent before these passes were blocked, it also said that everything was under control, so please rest assured, the emperor.
But no matter how you look at the situation, you can’t rest assured!
But the worst news came from Guangdong. The more than 40,000 land and sea armies commanded by Tu Hai and Shi Lang suffered disastrous defeats in Guichengdu and Qingqidu in Zhaoqing Prefecture. In the end, only 5,000 troops escaped from Suijiang. .....This is not over yet! After the main force of the Qing army in Guangdong was completely lost, the rebels began a sweeping pattern of sweeping away fallen leaves in the autumn wind. First, Zhaoqing Prefecture and Luoding Prefecture fell! Then the three counties of Qingyuan, Conghua and Longmen in Guangfu were occupied by the rebels without bloodshed. Immediately afterwards, Huizhou Prefecture and Shaozhou Prefecture were in crisis one after another, and their respective counties were lost one after another. Almost every day, urgent reports of lost territory are sent from Guangdong!
As for Gao, Lei, and Qiong in Guangdong, there was no news at all. No one knows if they have been lost?
At present, it is certain that the only prefectures in Guangdong that have not yet entered the rebel army are Nanxiong Prefecture in northern Guangdong and Lianzhou Prefecture in western Guangdong... However, Guangxi, with Lianzhou Prefecture sandwiched between them, has entered. big trouble! Because the main force of the Qing army in Guangxi had gone to Guangdong before and was under the command of the Ningnan Jingkou general Tuhai. As a result, they were defeated in Zhaoqing and ran all the way to Shaozhou Prefecture.
At the same time, Zu Zeqing, the commander-in-chief of Guangdong Gaolei, led an army of 10,000 to take advantage of the opportunity and took control of Wuzhou, Pingle, Guilin, and Liuzhou in northern and eastern Guangxi! Wu Sangui's old subordinate, Guangxi Zuojiang General Guo Yi, took control of Nanning, Taiping, and Xunzhou in one fell swoop... The two families almost divided Guangxi!
